St. Catty’s Day with Cal Poly Cat Program

The Cal Poly Cat Program hosted its first-ever St. Catty’s Day celebration on March 13 on Dexter Lawn. The event featured sales of program merchandise where community members were able to purchase T-shirts and stickers, according to its Instagram post.

Proceeds went toward the program’s veterinary fund for cats needing vet support, including shots, specialized care, shelter food and supplies in order to prepare for an upcoming move.

According to adoptions coordinator Sarah Yeung, the shelter is moving to a new location behind the Sierra Madre towers on Cal Poly’s campus. 

Organizers said that they hope to make St. Catty’s Day an annual event that grows bigger each year. They encourage the campus community to stop by, even if just to say hello, learn more about their program and show support.

The program’s resident orange tabby cats, Chester and Ronald, wore festive attire to greet visitors. The program’s dog, Valley, also made a special appearance.

Materials engineering sophomore Caiden Figlioli visited the event between classes.

“I love cats, I had four when I was at home,” Figlioli said. “I just came to see the cats that they had here because I’m thinking about fostering a cat over spring break.”

With the cats as their main attraction and the event located on Dexter Lawn, organizers had many visitors at the top of each hour from students going to or leaving classes.

Business cards were available for those interested in fostering cats over spring break for cats in the shelter.

Adult foster coordinator Miranda Seidl ran the booth with Yeung.

“I really like getting pictures and updates on our cats after adoption,” Seidl said. “When the cat matches their family it’s really cute.”

The Cal Poly Cat Program cares for the campus’ colony of feral and friendly cats. It is run by student volunteers and survives on donations, according to their website.